Chapter 210: “Sister”
“Planning to keep him?” Xie Chongyi glanced at the child lying between them, pried open his mouth, and checked his teeth. “He’s still losing his baby teeth. Wu Zhi won’t accept it.”
“She won’t accept anyone,” Wu Heng said, knowing this better than anyone.
“That’s true.” Xie Chongyi nodded. “What’s his name?”
“Jiang Lian.”
“‘Lian’ as in pity?”
Wu Heng shook his head. “The ‘lian’ from curtain.”
X stood behind Jiang Lian’s feet. At the moment it was about seventy to eighty centimeters tall, chest puffed out, its body broad and fluffy. It kept turning its head, though it was obvious it had been observing the person on the ground the whole time. It could understand a lot of human language, so it knew as well—this one on the ground was new.
“Adopt!” the bird shouted loudly.
Wu Heng shot it a glance. “I never planned to.”
Only then did the bird relax, its feathers that had been tensed all over finally loosening. There was no need for any new additions to its little household.
At that moment, the gathered crowd grew noisy again—they couldn’t drive.
The sun was high overhead, and the temperature was quietly rising. The sand heated up rapidly, almost boiling, and the scattered remains of zombie insects all over the ground made the smell in the air increasingly unbearable.
Lin Mengzhi jumped onto the vehicle, drenched in sweat. After grabbing a bottle of water from Wu Heng and downing it in one go, he leapt back down and ran toward the crowd.
“Damn it, go or don’t go!” His patience had run out. As he neared the crowd, he slowed to a walk and shouted, “Two minutes. Pack your things, bring only essentials. I don’t have time to waste on you!”
“I…”
“Anyone else got objections? If you do, get lost and go to No-Man’s Land yourself.”
Lin Mengzhi’s foul-mouthed outburst was clearly effective. In this apocalyptic world, a crumbling civilization constantly clashed with raw, primitive violence.
As he brushed past the group, wisps of white smoke even trailed from his body, plainly announcing to everyone that he was a high-level fire-type ability user.
This time, Xie Chongyi propped his chin on his hand and watched leisurely.
“Pretty ruthless.”
Wu Heng tilted his head and tore off a strip of jerky from the dried beef in his hand. “If the class monitor were in this situation, what would he do?”
“Just leave. Anyone who falls behind is bound to fall behind.”
Wu Heng thought for a moment before saying, “The cave is wide enough for some vehicles to pass through, but the road itself isn’t wide enough.”
“I’ve got an idea.”
“As long as the vines are thick enough, we can stuff one directly into the cave and have everyone and the vehicles pass through the inside of the vine. That way, the width won’t be an issue, and the creatures in the cave won’t be able to attack those passing through. Keeping the vine alive won’t be a problem either—its energy comes from the earth itself.”
“In that case, the vehicles can get through too, so we won’t have to abandon all the supplies. It would also prevent anyone from damaging the cave’s ecosystem.”
Xie Chongyi watched him and listened until he finished. Then he lowered his arm and lightly jumped down to the ground. “You take Zhou Yi to the cave and make arrangements. I’ll go talk to those people.”
Wu Heng watched Xie Chongyi’s retreating figure for a moment before turning to Zhou Yi, whose presence had been almost negligible the entire time. Zhou Yi had been standing at the rear of the vehicle; despite the blazing sun and sweat streaming down his neck, his posture remained upright.
Noticing someone looking at him, Zhou Yi snapped back to his senses and was just about to speak when Wu Heng had already jumped down from the vehicle. He started walking forward, and Zhou Yi immediately followed.
After a couple of steps, Wu Heng suddenly stopped, bent down, grabbed a handful of sand, and rubbed it between his fingers—it was scorching hot.
He turned his head. “Shukui, you and X take Jiang Lian and find somewhere to hide for a bit. It’s too hot.”
Then, unexpectedly, he asked Zhou Yi, “Do you want to go back to Captain Wen’s side?”
Zhou Yi froze for a moment and said he didn’t know.
“Mm.” Wu Heng gave a noncommittal response and continued walking forward.
Without transportation, the amount a person could carry on their own was very limited. Most things would have to be left behind, abandoned where they were.
Some teams or families had already started arguing fiercely over what to leave behind and what to take.
“Why can’t I bring my makeup? I don’t care!”
“Can makeup be eaten or drunk? At a time like this, you’re still thinking about that?!”
“Then why can you bring those crappy sneakers of yours? Just because they’re signed, they suddenly become food or water?”
“Dad, can I bring my toy gun?”
The man’s face darkened. He snatched the toy gun from the little girl’s hands and, using all his strength, was about to throw it away—when Xie Chongyi, a whole head taller than him, appeared beside him and effortlessly took the toy gun.
Xie Chongyi bent down, returned the toy gun to the little girl, and answered her earlier question, “You can.”
The young man hardly looked like someone who belonged in the apocalypse. If not for the dried bloodstains on his clothes, both of them might have thought he had just stepped out of some university forum as the campus heartthrob.
The couple didn’t dare respond rashly. Setting aside the fact that hidden experts were everywhere in the apocalypse, just the way he carried himself—with such ease and comfort—made them cautious about speaking up.
Moreover, there was no such person in the Xianghu Base. Before getting married, the couple had both been avid fans for years; their radar for good-looking people was so sharp that no one within miles could escape their notice—let alone someone this handsome. So he could only be one of the people from Deathlands that Lisa had mentioned, which made him even less someone to underestimate.
The woman quickly gave her daughter a pat from behind. “Quick, say thank you to big brother.”
“Thank you, big brother.”
Xie Chongyi smiled.
Seeing this, the woman’s eyes flickered, and she immediately pressed further, “Then… can we bring all these things?”
Xie Chongyi pretended not to understand the implication behind her words. “You can.”
“Thank you, thank you.” The couple had now truly guessed his identity—he was definitely from Deathlands, and his rank must be quite high. He didn’t even need to submit applications or write reports here.
Up ahead, Qi Songshi was chatting with Xue Shen. To Xie Chongyi, it sounded roughly like an introduction to the base’s basic situation, as well as what kind of work Qi Songshi usually handled.
He walked over. Xue Shen glanced at him. “Where’s Wu Heng?”
“Once he gets back, vehicles will be able to pass through the cave.”
Xue Shen hadn’t really been listening to Qi Songshi at all. Qi Songshi had been a bit displeased, but Xie Chongyi’s words immediately made him toss those thoughts aside. He said in surprise, “Cars can really get in? That’s a whole mountain—even climbing it is hard. How could vehicles pass through?”
There was no way to answer that, nor was there any need to. Qi Songshi quickly realized it himself. He suddenly grabbed both of their hands and shook them vigorously. “Thank you! My deepest thanks! I’d gladly give my all for you in the future! I’ll go tell them this good news right now!”
Qi Songshi jogged off. Xie Chongyi wiped the sweat he’d picked up from the handshake onto Xue Shen’s shoulder, his expression cool. “Next time you make a move…” He stopped halfway through, paused for a moment, then slowly turned to Xue Shen. “Don’t do it in front of Wu Heng. He dotes on me.”
Seeing the speechless look on Xue Shen’s face, Xie Chongyi curled his lips and continued, “Though someone like you—who can only watch the pig run but never eat the pork—probably wouldn’t understand how I feel.”
A few seconds later, Xie Chongyi looked out at the surging crowd in the distance and delivered a third blow to Xue Shen.
“Your pig’s about to run off with someone else.”
Lin Mengzhi’s face was practically about to explode red. Looking at the round-faced girl in front of him, dressed in ethnic clothing, he felt a surge of tenderness flooding his heart—he had the feeling he was about to fall in love again.
“What ethnic group are you from? Your clothes are really beautiful.”
“Hani,” the girl replied brightly.
Hani? Oh no—Lin Mengzhi had no idea what ethnic group that was.
A gaze that seemed to scrape painfully down his spine made him turn his head. He saw Xue Shen—and beside him, Xie Chongyi.
They were probably urging him to hurry up.
“Uh, well,” he turned back and urged the girl, “you should pack up quickly. We’re leaving soon.”
“Can you wait for us a bit?” the girl asked. “My grandma said we have to finish the blessing ritual before leaving. It’s a blessing for all of us, so… could you give her a little time?”
“Uh…” Lin Mengzhi scratched his head. Looking at the girl’s big eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. “Wait here, okay? I’ll go ask our boss.”
Lin Mengzhi hurried off, but couldn’t find Wu Heng, so he went to Xie Chongyi instead.
After explaining the girl’s request, Xie Chongyi replied in what seemed like a rather good mood, “If it won’t take too long, and everyone else is willing to wait, I don’t mind.”
“Good man!” Lin Mengzhi clapped him on the shoulder and ran off again.
Xie Chongyi crossed his arms and leaned against a wrecked sedan. He glanced at Xue Shen, who had once again lowered his head to wipe his glasses, and offered some “advice,” “Lin Mengzhi’s tastes are pretty rigid—you could try wearing a skirt.”
Xue Shen said nothing. Lin Mengzhi wasn’t worth that kind of sacrifice. He only let his gaze linger on him for a few extra seconds—nothing more.
His attention shifted to the distance, where the crowd of survivors was slowly parting, leaving a large open space. In that clearing stood a dozen or twenty elderly women, all dressed in brightly colored ethnic clothing. At the front was a gray-haired old grandmother, her expression solemn and dignified—it was clear she was leading this “ritual.”
Soon, a group of burly men carried and placed grains and already-slaughtered poultry into the center of the clearing. After returning to the crowd, they each picked up instruments—unusual in shape and clearly handmade.
The old woman wore a red cloth hat adorned with a few vibrant chicken feathers, with silver ornaments and red decorations hanging from both sides. Her clothing was a blue base with colorful patterns. She murmured in a low, indistinct chant, speaking in a language outsiders couldn’t understand.
Among the instruments, a sound rose—very much like a flute, yet deeper and more resonant. The rhythm began, and the old woman’s voice lifted; the other women joined her in chanting.
After the prelude, they began a kind of dance rarely seen in ordinary times. At first glance it seemed chaotic, yet every step matched the rhythm perfectly. Each time they raised their hands, their gazes toward the sky carried tears.
“What is this?” Xue Shen asked instinctively.
“It’s a blessing ritual of their ethnic group—praying for safety, for freedom from disaster, for the misfortune that has already befallen them to dissipate as soon as possible,” Xie Chongyi said softly, quietly watching the crowd.
He listened more carefully and noticed that their chant also contained fragments of scripture. He added unhurriedly, “They’re also sending off the departed.”
The long, lingering chant drifted far. Wu Heng, standing atop a distant slope, could hear it clearly.
When faced with despair, some people turn to faith. What set these people apart was that, having grown up immersed in a strong ethnic culture, they had believed since birth that their gods would protect them. Wu Heng didn’t find that absurd—faith to them was like food to him.
The sky pressed low, glaringly bright, casting the endless desert in stark desolation. Once, they had danced and sung in fertile fields heavy with crops; now, they stood upon the blood and bones of their own people, completing the final blessing and farewell in the land they once called home.
Amid the howling wind and sand, Wu Heng remained where he was until the ritual ended—until the crowd, like a line of ants on the move, slowly began heading toward his position.
—
Driving through the desert wasn’t much faster than walking, especially when heavily loaded and climbing sand dunes. It even required the use of abilities to keep moving—otherwise, vehicles would slide back or their tires would sink deep into the sand.
Some stray mutated creatures would quietly approach the long convoy, so Xie Chongyi and Xue Shen took up the rear. Zhou Yi was assigned by Wu Heng to tally the ability users from Xianghu Base.
Wu Heng walked at the very front—the most dangerous position.
After about half an hour, they reached the cave entrance. The massive rock surface was covered with greenery stretching so high it disappeared from sight, making it impossible to guess what lay behind it.
“Deathlands is behind this mountain? How can you be so sure?!”
“We came from the other side.”
“…Sorry.”
“But what if mutated creatures crawl in here and follow us?”
“I don’t think they can break through the defenses I’ve set.” As Wu Heng turned around, the dense vegetation parted, revealing a pitch-black cave entrance before countless eyes.
With his back to everyone, just as the first person lifted a foot to step inside, Wu Heng spoke and halted him. His tone wasn’t threatening—it was simply a final notice to the humans about to enter his territory.
“Once you enter Deathlands, every breath you take and every drop of water you drink belongs to me. This isn’t a place you can come and go from as you please. If you want to leave later, you’ll have to pay the corresponding price.” Wu Heng lowered his eyes, his long lashes unmoving. “Now, I’ll give you time to think it through.”
The person closest to him no longer felt any relief or hope. A chill crept into his bones. What stood before him didn’t feel like life-giving plants—it felt like a nest of snakes coiled at the doorstep.
It was clear this wasn’t someone easy to deal with. Some people truly began to hesitate, even thinking of turning back.
Wu Heng paid them no mind and walked straight into the cave.
Several minutes later, the girl Lin Mengzhi had briefly spoken with earlier finally took her grandmother’s hand and resolutely followed him inside.
Watching from afar, Lin Mengzhi felt he really hadn’t misjudged her.
He praised himself inwardly again and again—until quite a few people had already gone in, and he suddenly noticed that beside Xie Chongyi was a child, with no adult accompanying him from any direction.
“Is that your kid or A’Heng’s?” Lin Mengzhi asked without the slightest doubt. In this world, he wouldn’t even question if Wu Heng and Xie Chongyi had somehow produced a child who was already seven or eight years old right after birth.
“It’s one I picked up for you.” Xie Chongyi rested a hand on the little boy’s shoulder and nudged him toward Lin Mengzhi. “Jiang Lian, call him Dad.”
Jiang Lian glanced quickly at Lin Mengzhi but couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Lin Mengzhi nearly jumped out of his skin. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
Xue Shen leaned slightly to the side. “He was picked up, yes—but not necessarily for you. When we get back, we’ll see if anyone’s willing to adopt him. If no one does, it’s not a big deal. Our team won’t miss a single mouthful of food.”
Jiang Lian quietly moved back to Xie Chongyi’s side, silent as ever.
Only after entering the cave did the others realize that neither above their heads nor beneath their feet was rock. Instead, there was a soft, damp texture. Underfoot, it wasn’t very obvious—but when they looked up, they saw the green walls covered in countless tiny holes, like rows of dark, staring eyes.
What was this place? No matter how hard they thought, they couldn’t understand why what looked like a cave from the outside now felt like they had walked into the belly of some mutated creature.
As the sound of water gradually reached their ears, the thing beneath their feet revealed its true form. Perhaps the cave environment wasn’t ideal for its growth—or perhaps, like all living things, it had adapted—it appeared as a translucent green, interwoven with the faint blue glow of the river beneath.
Even more unsettling.
“What’s that?” someone cried out.
“A bug.”
“It’s golden—it’s looking at us! Will it suddenly fly over?”
Zhou Yi jogged up from the back, reminding them along the way to keep their voices down—most cave creatures were fragile.
This mountain was far vaster than they had imagined. They didn’t know how long they had been walking, yet there was still no end in sight. If the exit were near, they would have seen a small white point of light.
Finally… finally… finally…
Something other than darkness appeared before them—a long white shape in the distance, completely still.
The people behind Wu Heng were so frightened they didn’t dare move forward anymore. Wu Heng only paused for a brief moment before continuing ahead.
Just as they were about to get close, a faint, hesitant voice spoke up.
“Brother.”
Wu Heng gave a soft “mm” in response, without any further reaction. Wu Zhi, who had been waiting there all this time, immediately turned and walked forward side by side with him.
Seeing that nothing had happened, the people behind them resumed moving forward as well.
“Where’s Mengzhi?” After walking for quite a while, Wu Zhi finally mustered the courage to speak again.
“At the back.”
“Brother…” Wu Zhi didn’t explain why she had appeared here. Taking advantage of the surrounding darkness, she asked the question she had long wanted a clear answer to. “Do you hate me?”
By now, Wu Heng could answer calmly: “No.”
After a short pause, the sound of quiet sobbing reached his ears. Wu Zhi was no longer crying loudly like before—she kept her voice down. Wu Heng could even hear her teeth grinding faintly. Although Liu Shen had treated her fairly well, it was impossible that she hadn’t suffered at all under him.
They were getting close. Wu Heng knew it. By then, Wu Zhi had finally steadied her emotions. When she spoke again, the trace of crying had completely disappeared.
“You hadn’t come back for so long. I filed a report with Captain Jiang and came specifically to pick you up.”
“By yourself?”
“I only came after finishing the tasks Captain Jiang assigned me.”
Inside this passage he had created, Wu Heng could see everything clearly. Every movement, every expression of each person was within his awareness. Walking beside him, Wu Zhi—when she wasn’t speaking—was almost like a completely different person from before.
“I see the exit!” someone behind them shouted in delight.
The white point of light gradually spread as they drew closer, turning gold, then shifting into green—the color of a forest.
And then, the forest truly appeared.
The people from Xianghu Base cast aside their earlier caution and streamed out one after another. Their faces lit up with exaggerated joy and excitement, as if they hadn’t seen a forest in a very long time.
The convoy only began to drive out slowly at the very end. There were hardly any passengers in the vehicles—people would rather walk than lift their feet off the ground when they had no idea how safe things were. If the load proved too much and something gave way, they could fall straight into the river…
Qi Songshi, along with Lisa and two men and a woman, moved to the very front of the group. Each held a loudspeaker, calling for people to line up and begin a headcount.
This wasn’t an open, flat area. Vegetation grew thick and wild everywhere, and the terrain was uneven—rolling slopes rose and fell endlessly. Tall trees stood scattered throughout, while younger saplings and epiphytes tangled tightly together in dense clusters. Forming neat lines was impossible; the crowd could only spread out like scattered stars. That made confirming the headcount, ensuring no one was missing, especially important.
It looked like it would take some time.
Wu Heng sat cross-legged in front of a patch of shrubs, pulled out the dried beef he hadn’t finished earlier, and continued eating.
“Have you eaten?”
“I ate before coming. You should eat, brother.”
Wu Zhi stood beside him. Even just standing there quietly made her feel content.
It took their own group quite some effort to find Wu Heng, though Wu Zhi had helped—a head of white hair like hers was impossible to miss.
“Whoa,” Lin Mengzhi hopped in front of Wu Zhi, his face full of surprise. “When did you sneak over here? Abandoning your post, huh!”
“I didn’t!” No matter how composed Wu Zhi tried to be, she always lost it a little when facing Lin Mengzhi.
“I’m not in the mood to argue with you.” Lin Mengzhi waved dismissively. A flicker of hurt flashed across Wu Zhi’s face.
But suddenly, the overheated Lin Mengzhi lunged forward and hugged her tightly. Pressing his face against hers, he said, “Quick, quick, cool me down—I’m burning up here!”
Wu Zhi, long unaccustomed to physical contact, stiffened completely like a rigid stick.
X crouched on a tree branch above them, its whole body bent into an upside-down “U” as it watched the scene below.
Shukui followed behind Zhou Yi, climbing up from the base of the slope. The dog was so overheated that the moment it reached the top, it flopped down into the grass beside Wu Heng and rolled onto its belly. Zhou Yi didn’t waste any time either—he took out a water bottle from his bag and poured water into the dog’s mouth.
Wu Heng had already eaten several packs of dried beef when he finally saw Xie Chongyi and Xue Shen, along with Jiang Lian, who was being led by Xue Shen’s hand.
As soon as Xie Chongyi reached Wu Heng, he crouched down, ruffled his hair, and pinched his cheek. After thoroughly messing with him, he gave a quiet laugh on his own.
“The outside and here are two different climates,” Xue Shen said, rubbing his nose and sneezing. “I feel like even the oxygen concentration outside is lower than before.”
Jiang Lian looked up. “It is a little lower, but only a little.”
X, perched above them, spotted Jiang Lian. Its body bent so far it was almost a perfect upside-down “U,” its shape unable to align properly anymore, only barely stabilized by its two claws gripping the branch tightly.
Wu Zhi pushed Lin Mengzhi’s head aside slightly and looked down in confusion—but she was the only one confused. The others all seemed to know who the child was.
So she stayed silent and didn’t ask. Liu Shen had taught her that once you made a mistake, you would naturally lose part of the rights you originally had.
“I’m Jiang Lian.” Jiang Lian looked around before his gaze landed on Wu Zhi’s face. “Sister.”
Wu Heng, who had originally been locked in a steady stare with Xie Chongyi, couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at that. He also broke eye contact with Xie Chongyi, turning to look at Wu Zhi’s expression instead.
But Xie Chongyi didn’t let him off so easily. In full view of everyone, he lowered his voice and said, “You lost,” then forcefully cupped Wu Heng’s face and leaned in to bite his cheek hard.